Ex-girlfriend held captive for 6 months is rescued after Facebook plea: cops

Jason Greniger, 34, is accused of holding his former girlfriend captive for six months.

By Jonathan Kaminsky, Reuters

A woman held captive for six months by a former boyfriend who threatened to kill her if she tried to escape was rescued from a Nevada motel after writing about her plight on Facebook, police said Tuesday.

Her alleged captor, Jason Greniger, 34, was arrested on Saturday at the MV Motel in Mesquite, a golfing and gambling resort town 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Mesquite police Detective Sergeant MaQuade Chesley said.

The victim had not been physically restrained by Greniger during the ordeal and was regularly sent to a nearby store for food and beer, according to Chesley.

"She had opportunities to contact police, it just took her six months to get the courage to do it," Chesley said. "She legitimately believed that he would kill her, hurt her or hurt her family if she didn't stay with him."

Greniger was being held at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping and also on an outstanding warrant from Minnesota stemming from a charge of first-degree felony malicious punishment of a child, Chesley said.

He was due in court on Wednesday in Mesquite in connection with the kidnapping case.

The victim turned to Facebook to seek help after Greniger allowed her to visit a nearby public library on Saturday, Chesley said.

Her post read: "I just whant to let every one know im sarry I whant to come home but he wont let me."

Later that day, Mesquite police were told of the post and went to the motel, where they arrested Greniger, according to Chesley.

The vicim had been out of contact with her family, including several children, for six months until Saturday and only learned of her mother's December death after being freed, Chesley said.